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[Is it cold in here?]

4. Jeph does something we haven't thought of that's funnier.

[Pilchard123]

Isn't that orthogonal to the options though? The funny thing will either prove a theory correct (option 3), disprove all the theories (option 2) or neither (option 1).

[Tova]

Yes, it is.

Having said that, I fully expect Jeph to do something we haven't thought of that's funnier. That's why he's the webcomic author and I'm sitting back reading.

[Gyrre]

Naw.  Emily is a very high functioning person with Asperger's Syndrome who is very well adjusted to her condition.  She's very comfortable in the role of Weirdo and fulfills those duties with gusto.  Socially awkward by nature, her considerable intellect developed very early and enabled her to learn academically what neurotypicals pick up by instinct and observation.  She follows the rules she deems necessary and useful, but ignores those that don't seem important to her (like bringing gifts of mice).

I'd find this person 'way more interesting than another 'bot.

And her seeming extra sturdiness is likely from having a slightly above average bone  density while her strength feats can be explained by either adrenaline or some form of exercise/atheletic training routine. Emily could be at SMIF for both academic AND atheletic scholarships. Probably the track team.

[Zebediah]

Smith College is NCAA Division 3. No athletic scholarships. Besides, we have never seen Emily play any sport, or even mention any sport.

[Stoutfellow]

[W]e have never seen Emily play any sport, or even mention any sport.

She's pretty good at whackarobot. (Bubbles, of course, but also Pintsize.) (That was her, wasn't it? Saw him, immediately punched him?)

[OldGoat]

[W]e have never seen Emily play any sport, or even mention any sport.

She's pretty good at whackarobot. (Bubbles, of course, but also Pintsize.) (That was her, wasn't it? Saw him, immediately punched him?)

That was Samantha, not long after the corn snake incident with Emily.

[BenRG]

[W]e have never seen Emily play any sport, or even mention any sport.

She's pretty good at whackarobot. (Bubbles, of course, but also Pintsize.) (That was her, wasn't it? Saw him, immediately punched him?)

That was Samantha, not long after the corn snake incident with Emily.

Emily did it too, hard enough to cave in Pintsize's head and to nearly break her own hand. As Marten tried to clean up the mess, she was babbling about: "His head looked soft! Why wasn't it soft?!?"

[Gyrre]

Smith College is NCAA Division 3. No athletic scholarships. Besides, we have never seen Emily play any sport, or even mention any sport.

It's a more plausible hypothesis than  her being a highly complex technorganic AI.

And being short, stocky and having a slightly higher than average bone density, I can personally attest to the added durability. For example, I've been flung 100 some-odd feet from my bike, hit the ground fast and hard enough to bounce twice going an additional 30ish ft, and I was able to stand up on my own (albeit a bit dazed) and walk to the campus clinic.
I've also been hit as a pedestrian a few times. Luckily never anything faster than 20mph.

And I haven't broken a single bone through any of that.

EDIT; fixing typo.

[Zebediah]

Maybe it is a more plausible hypothesis, but it is no more supported by the evidence than the techno-organic hypothesis. If Emily is an athlete, she spends remarkably little time practicing or playing any sport. There is zero evidence to support the idea that she's on an athletic scholarship at a college that doesn't even award athletic scholarships.

And I am not supporting the techno-organic hypothesis either. Frankly, I think this whole thread is trying to come up with an explanation for something that doesn't need an explanation. Emily is physically well within the bounds of normal human variation, and mentally she's a bit atypical but not inexplicably so.

[Schismatism]

Hiyas.  Figured I might as well delurk in order to share a few small observations!

The woman at the party in panel 2 of comic 2137, the one on the left, seems to share more than couple of similarities to the lovely and talented Ms. Azuma.  Now, we already know that Emily has managed to write a program for satellites to become friends.  We also know that she's said that a nebulous 'they' will kill her parents if she reveals more details about it.  Jokingly, of course, but this is Emily, it's difficult to say for sure.

Hannelore was, of course, raised primarily in isolation due to her crippling social anxiety and hypochondria, something which would have precluded her from making any friends amongst the others on board Station.  This means that, well, naturally she wouldn't recognize Emily even if the two's rooms were right next to one another.  So there's no reason why Emily couldn't also have been raised aboard Station... and I'd not be surprised if her numerous idiosyncrasies were magnified by the fact that it's a space station full of engineers, scientists and, well, to put it politely, social misfits.

I think it's clear that Spookybot has more than a little sway over Station's internal affairs, not to mention a full collection of the data gathered upon the engineering staff: I'd also not be surprised if both Spooky and Station put Hannelore and Emily in the same town for various reasons.  If you want to keep an eye on your friends, why not make it easy?  And if you want to keep an eye on your projects, well, same applies.

I also think it interesting that when Hannelore wandered blearily out in comic 2330, Mrs. Azuma looked simply shocked, whereas Mr. Azuma gave what I can only assume is a glare.  (That or he's just looking down at his plate.)  They know something.  I wonder if there was a falling out with the Ellicott-Chathams at one point.

Most of this, of course, is purest speculation, and that's not even starting to get into the Twinkie debate.  (Some things, truly, are not for mortal minds.)  But I'd not be surprised if Emily is just a normalish child raised in an abnormalish environment, just like Hannelore.

[Is it cold in here?]

Welcome, delurked person!

[Gyrre]

I was previously unaware of the ranking/classification of SMIF college.

[Nepiophage]

But Emily goes to UMass, same class as Clinton.

[Zebediah]

But Emily goes to UMass, same class as Clinton.

The fact that they are in the same class doesn't mean they are both students at UMass. Students at colleges in the Five College Consortium (UMass, Amherst, Smith, Hampshire, Holyoke) can take classes at any of the member institutions and  have the credits transfer. So it's possible Emily is enrolled at Smith but has taken a couple of classes at UMass. Or maybe Clinton was taking a class at Smith. For all we know, they were both taking a class at Amherst. So that's not definitive. Bottom line, we don't actually know where Emily is enrolled.

[Tlaloc]

Wow. Pay for one college get four free!